Store's last $20 lottery ticket brings $250,000 of Christmas luck

Jan. 6 (UPI) -- A pair of Iowa Lottery players shopping for Christmas stocking stuffers said they bought a store's last $20 scratch-off ticket -- and won a $250,000 prize.

P.J. and Libby Vaske, of Dakota Dunes, S.D., told Iowa Lottery officials they went to the Casey's store in Sioux City, Iowa, to buy lottery tickets for their Christmas stockings.

"We always do scratch tickets in our stockings for a little Santa gift," Libby Vaske said. "I wanted to pick some $20 tickets to put in the stocking and that was the one that was kind of just there. I was going to buy multiple ones, but that was the only one left at that store."

The ticket, a $250,000 Extreme Cash game, revealed a $250,000 prize when it was scratched off on Christmas morning.

"I didn't believe what I was seeing," she said. "I thought I was in a dream. I had my husband come up and look at it: 'Is this right?!'

She said her husband was equally incredulous.

"We're still pretty much in disbelief," Libby Vaske said. "We just kind of figured, 'Well, this doesn't happen to people like us.'"

The couple said their winnings will go toward home improvements and college funds for their three children.